Tim Pierce/Howard Leese: PRS vs Les Paul

[sergiodeblanc]

I feel like I don’t even know you!

If I don’t have 100% authentic period-correct vintage tone for my sh!tty songs that I play in bars and sell to no one, then it’s not even worth it to attempt to enjoy playing guitar.

That’s true for me, and I’ll bet it’s true for anyone who takes themselves as seriously as I do myself.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

If I don’t have 100% authentic period-correct vintage tone for my sh!tty songs that I play in bars and sell to no one, then it’s not even worth it to attempt to enjoy playing guitar.

That’s true for me, and I’ll bet it’s true for anyone who takes themselves as seriously as I do myself.

Hey I take you seriously!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Hey I take you seriously!

As you should, I’m a seriously serious man.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

As you should, I’m a seriously serious man.

As you should be, this is a serious instrument forum, or so I’m told!

 

[Johnny Rigs]

So the 58/15LTs come in the McCarty and McCarty 594, and the 58/15+s come in the McCarty SC 594. All of which have now gone through the TCI process. I think that’s right..

 

[László]

I don't like the vintage tuners either and not sure I want a Nitro finish on ANY guitar as I feel the finish that PRS used was excellent at preserving the finish and guitar incredibly well. I don't want a guitar to look worn over time to the extent that bare wood is visible - I want it to look new as long as possible and really have to look close to see any indications of wear. I don't believe a Nitro finish is likely to do that....

Each to their own of course but I am not 'excited' about these changes and certainly won't be selling my 594 to update it to one of these newer versions...

I don’t know why you would sell an existing 594 to get a new version; after all, the previous 594 is still a great guitar, and the fact that they have a slightly tweaked new model doesn’t affect the way yours sounds! I’m certainly not selling my 594s or McCarty Singlecut.

On the nitro: I love PRS’ nitro. I have the PS nitro finish on all 4 of my Private Stocks and it’s great; seems to wear the same as other PRS finishes, isn’t sticky, sounds wonderful. Nitro is also a beautiful finish with a great lustre and
It feels good.

On my PS guitars, I have no checking or cracking whatsoever. This is after 6 years with the acoustic, and 5, 4 and 3 on my other PS models. Whether they’re using the same stuff as the PS nitro on the Core models, I have no idea, but as I said, I have zero problems, and in any case I’ll be dead long before my guitars start to look bad, so worrying about nitro is a non-thing for me.

But to each their own on nitro, and admittedly, I take super nice care of my instruments. I love nitro for the tone, the look and the feel.

Vintage tuners: I have had probably a half dozen earlier McCartys with the vintage tuners, and when I said they drive me nuts, it’s just me taking poetic license; it only drives me a very tiny bit nuts, and that’s only because the locking tuners have been so convenient.

Back when the McCarty was introduced,, Paul felt that the lighter weight of the headstock with vintage tuning machines sounded better. I was surprised when they went to the Phase IIIs. Obviously, he feels he was right the first time.

Anyway, I’m pretty stoked about the updates to these models, thought the McCarty in that video sounded great, and I do miss having a 25” scale McCarty. So I just ordered one.

 

[bodia]

If I don’t have 100% authentic period-correct vintage tone for my sh!tty songs that I play in bars and sell to no one, then it’s not even worth it to attempt to enjoy playing guitar.

That’s true for me, and I’ll bet it’s true for anyone who takes themselves as seriously as I do myself.

sheesh.....you eat some meat today, or sumptin’?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

sheesh.....you eat some meat today, or sumptin’?

Car shopping. Nothing primes my BS detector faster... except maybe talking to contractors.

 

[pauloqs]

I think comparison videos albeit fun and I welcome and enjoy them, are pretty pointless, because at that point you're getting into personal preferences. With that said the new McCarty and 594 are, as Sergio would put it, bangin'. The nitro finish over cellulose is huge. I actually like the adjustable bridge, graphite with bronze nut, and locking tuners on my '17 McCarty, but I would swap that in a heartbeat for a new model just because of the nitro finish (and LT pickups for that matter).

 

[WA Paul]

Hmm...

I wonder how different the 58/15 LT+ specs are from the original LTs versus the 58/15s...

I wonder how different the Nitro Over Cellulose (CAB) finish is from the PS High Gloss Nitro finish. Like Les, I LOVE the PS HG Nitro finish. This potentially would be a huge upgrade in my mind. My sense is they are different, given how labor intensive the PS HG nitro finish is.

For the tuners, I’m not sure about PIII versus the vintage style. I get the lighter weight ‘less is more’ theory here. But I really like the convenience of PIII and tonal improvement over PII.

Plus I still want a 594 Trem!

 

[László]

Car shopping. Nothing primes my BS detector faster... except maybe talking to contractors.

Haha! And I always feel like I’m really lucky that they actually want to let me go home in one of their nice cars!

 

[Tim S]

As you should, I’m a seriously serious man.

Are you serious?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Haha! And I always feel like I’m really lucky that they actually want to let me go home in one of their nice cars!

That’s because you’re a dream customer. You buy nice, you buy new, and you think it’s totally reasonable for them to make a profit from the service they provide.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

Obviously the point is that the new 594s and 58/15LT pickups sound so good that even ‘59 Les Pauls are trying to copying them. Even the copies of ‘59 Les Pauls are trying to copy them!

 

[dkilpatrick]

I don’t know why you would sell an existing 594 to get a new version; after all, the previous 594 is still a great guitar, and the fact that they have a slightly tweaked new model doesn’t affect the way yours sounds! I’m certainly not selling my 594s or McCarty Singlecut.

On the nitro: I love PRS’ nitro. I have the PS nitro finish on all 4 of my Private Stocks and it’s great; seems to wear the same as other PRS finishes, isn’t sticky, sounds wonderful. Nitro is also a beautiful finish with a great lustre and
It feels good.

On my PS guitars, I have no checking or cracking whatsoever. This is after 6 years with the acoustic, and 5, 4 and 3 on my other PS models. Whether they’re using the same stuff as the PS nitro on the Core models, I have no idea, but as I said, I have zero problems, and in any case I’ll be dead long before my guitars start to look bad, so worrying about nitro is a non-thing for me.

But to each their own on nitro, and admittedly, I take super nice care of my instruments. I love nitro for the tone, the look and the feel.

Vintage tuners: I have had probably a half dozen earlier McCartys with the vintage tuners, and when I said they drive me nuts, it’s just me taking poetic license; it only drives me a very tiny bit nuts, and that’s only because the locking tuners have been so convenient.

Back when the McCarty was introduced,, Paul felt that the lighter weight of the headstock with vintage tuning machines sounded better. I was surprised when they went to the Phase IIIs. Obviously, he feels he was right the first time.

Anyway, I’m pretty stoked about the updates to these models, thought the McCarty in that video sounded great, and I do miss having a 25” scale McCarty. So I just ordered one.

I’m keeping the ones I have, also not a fan of the vintage tuners. I really like the tweaked phase III’s that came on the original versions.
Plus I have one of each from the year they were introduced as a model.
Nitro might be cool.

 

[shimmilou]

I wonder how different the Nitro Over Cellulose (CAB) finish is from the PS High Gloss Nitro finish.....

I saw this also in another thread, but what does it mean, “nitro over cellulose”? Nitro is short for nitro cellulose......?

Nitro cellulose can be satin finish, gloss, etc.

 

[László]

[QUOTE="WA Paul, post: 511936, member: 16132]I wonder how different the Nitro Over Cellulose (CAB) finish is from the PS High Gloss Nitro finish.....

I saw this also in another thread, but what does it mean, “nitro over cellulose”? Nitro is short for nitro cellulose......?

Nitro cellulose can be satin finish, gloss, etc.[/QUOTE]

I'll bet it's a typo. In any case, for me nitro is a real advantage for these updated models. If I didn't already have a couple of 594s and the McCarty Singlecut, I'd have gotten one of the new ones, just because, but being a '59 Burst clone isn't that big a deal to me.

In any case, I miss my McCarty, appreciate the switch to nitro, and don't much care about the vintage tuners, I'm fine with them. So yeah! Gimme!

 

[dmatthews]

That was a good video. Now I want a 594 SC

 

[gush]

Oh, right, noticed the vintage tuners. Ok then, glad I got my McCarty’s when I did. Vintage tuners are a deal breaker for me. But I can see some really liking them. Too bad I’ll miss out on the LT+ pickups. And it’s sweet that they’re putting LTs in the standard McCarty now.

Vintage tuners from guitar vault are direct drop in if the 594 uses the kluson style.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

That was a good video. Now I want a 594 SC

It just so happens I don’t have a Singlecut anymore, and I’d been saying to myself I’ll have one again someday...